an eco-aware, flower power, neo-hippie, vegan blog

Meat Out 2014 & Easy Salsa Pasta Salad

We’ve been herbivores around here for years. So it doesn’t seem complicated to us, the concept of going meatless for one day. However, we’re in the minority. Approximately 1% of Americans are vegan and an additional 3% are vegetarian. But the veggie-loving lifestyle is growing. The popularity of Meatless Mondays has been increasing. And the MeatOut is an annual event devoted to spreading the word about how awesome the plant-based life can be!!

MeatOut has been around a while. Formerly known as the Great American MeatOut, it was started in 1985 by the good folks at FARM. The idea is to set up a booth, get some flyers – basic grassroots stuff – and try to convince people to go without meat for one day. This simple act will save thousands of animals’ lives and make an environmental impact as well. On the MeatOut website, new pledges can sign up and get encouraging emails, meal plans and info about health, animal rights and climate change

We’re proud supports of MeatOut and hope you will check out their website and spread the word – cuz the Big Day is tomorrow, March 20! Try it – see if you can go with no animals on your plate for one day. Yea, it might be a change. But change is good – it keeps your brain active and challenges you to grow emotionally & spiritually. Why not get those benefits while you do good for so many other causes? It’s a win-win-win-win.

The wonderful folks over at Sister Eden asked us to create a simple pasta recipe for this occasion that anyone could make. We were equal to the task and came up with Easy Salsa Pasta Salad. This tasty lunch or dinner recipe travels well, is good warm or cold and can be made gluten-free if you use brown rice pasta (we like spirals, but any shape will work). You can use canned, frozen or fresh veggies. And the toughest part of the entire process is boiling and draining the noodles!!

Now you have a crazy-easy way to get going for MeatOut. Click over to Sister Eden and grab the recipe. You might even have many of the ingredients on hand. Make this simple meal, and you have lunch or dinner all squared away for the MeatOut. Need more ideas? Have a healthful breakfast of oatmeal made with water – drizzle with maple syrup and enjoy with an apple or banana; for lunch the Easy Salsa Pasta Salad; and at dinner time, make veggie burgers or beans and rice with veggies. Eating out for dinner? Go Chinese or Japanese – there are loads of meatless options, and they’re delicious! Oh and – there are loads of recipes on this blog! Click the “Munchies” link above for a listing of all the recipes we’ve ever posted.